Red Skirts and Daggers
by HSea
Summary: Isobelle becomes friends with Zidane and Blank, getting a part in 'I Want To Be Your Canary' and then finding out that life isn't just Lindblum's shops and streets. Join her as she finds New friends, adventures, loves and even a new town on the Mist Conti
1. Dancing Into Your Hands

In the town centre, the usual Lindblum band was playing its usual theme, upbeat tourist tunes for the common people to feel inspired by. Out of one of the alleys came a girl who looked about 16 holding hands with a guy who was slightly taller than her. She had blue eyes, blond-brown hair down to her waist and a normal figure. She was wearing a startling red silk skirt and a plain white top, which clung to her figure immaculately. He had brown scruffy hair and grey eyes, his skin tone was tanned and he was wearing a faded red t-shirt and black cotton trousers. She laughed at the usual music and started to sway her hips to the rhythm. The boy let go of her hand and sat on the edge of the fountain, watching her. Her dress swirled around her legs as she danced, catching on the static air around the girl and flowing out in a beautiful crescent away from her as she danced round the space in front of the Synthesis shop. She waltzed her way over to the guy and held her hand out to him, which he refused to take, letting his hands take a firm grip on the side of the fountain he was sitting on. As she got more and more persistent, his face began to fold into anger and suddenly he took her hand and pulled her towards the place he had been as he got up, causing her to go flying into the water of the fountain. She got up quickly and tried to follow him, her legs and arms dripping. 'Don't come back home tonight either!' he shouted over his shoulder as he pushed past two figures on the road leading towards the air cabs. The figures, a blonde haired guy with a tail and a red haired guy of the same size as the blond guy looked at each other. The blond guy didn't suppress a sly smile and he started to walk towards the girl, who had sat down on the edge of the fountain, looking at the road and her knees, her hair hiding her face from people left and right. She told herself she wouldn't cry and as she went to look at the heavens and shout at the sky that 'she was a good girl, why wasn't she allowed someone to love?' two guys sat down either side of her. She stayed looking down.

'I saw what happened.' The guy on her right said 'He's not very nice…' the girl looked to her right to see a blond haired guy looking down at her. '…you ok?' he asked and smiled at her, despite her sadness, she couldn't help smiling back. She looked down again, running her fingers through her hair

'We weren't getting on very well anyway' she admitted, pushed a final hair back from her face and looked out over the road towards the shops and air cab, where the guy had gone.

'Do you want-' the blond guy said, looking at the girl's wet clothes

'- to come with us? We'll take you to our hideout; you can dry yourself off there.' The other guy said quickly, stopping the blonde guy from saying what he was going to. The girl looked at him. It was the first time he spoke and she found easiness in his voice she couldn't understand. He was an interesting person to look at, his hair tied back and up with a bandana. She smiled tightly and gave a little nod to him. All three of them got up together then and they guided her to the air cabs.

They went into their hideout in the theatre district and the red-haired guy got a towel for the girl to dry herself with. The blonde haired guy sat at the table, watching the girl.

'So, what can I call such a beautiful girl as you?' he drawled to her as she was rubbing the towel furiously on her arm, trying to use the friction to dry her clothes. She looked up at him with a knowing smile.

'Isobelle.' She said, keeping her eyes focused on the blonde guy's eyes.

'Such a beautiful name for such a beautiful girl.' He breathed, then turned slightly. Gesturing towards the red haired guy, who was leaning on the wall, he gave out their names 'He's Blank,' Blank raised his hand from his crossed arms slightly and gave a non-committal wave, 'And I'm Zidane.' The blond guy finally revealed. Isobelle noticed that his eyes were focused on her blouse front, which had turned almost see-through. Instead of being offended, she laughed. 'Is Zidane a funny name?' Zidane said alarmingly angered

'No, I'm just realising where you're looking when you look at me.' Isobelle replied, never rising to the challenge of emotion in her voice. Zidane looked taken-aback but Blank just laughed from where he was leaning

'I'm-' Zidane started but never finished for Baku came in the door then

'Hello, who's this lady then?' then he noticed Zidane and Blank 'Oh, you got a person to help with our play did you? Ok, have you told her, her job?' he carried on, looking from Zidane to Blank back to Zidane

'A play?' Isobelle asked and Zidane looked at her, realizing that she would be perfect to help

'Yeah, we're doing a play of 'I want to be your canary' in Alexandria soon. You'd be perfect to help us with a few lines!' Isobelle's eyes lit up.

'Alexandria? Wow! I'd love to!' she squealed rather enthusiastically. Baku laughed from the doorway.

'You'd better tell her the plan as well then.' He added and walked out the door again 'I'm goin' to find the rest of the gang. Business, business, business!' he said, slapping his hands together and laughing his infamous laugh.

'Plan?' Isobelle asked Zidane and Blank, raising her eyebrow and smiling wickedly. Zidane and Blank looked at each other and read each other's expressions

_I told you she would be a good member!_

_Just don't screw this up with your chat-up lines Zidane!_


	2. Alexandria

It was the day of the plan. Isobelle got up refreshed and ready for anything.

'Isobelle! Today's the day you go to Alexandria Kupo!' the resident moogle of the inn said when he saw her rising from her covers. Isobelle looked over at him and laughed

'Today's the day my life is changed.' Isobelle replied, meaning, jokingly, that she would become a star, people would love her performance, and she'd never have to bask in someone else's money to get a roof over her head. She got up and went to her clothes, freshly washed and ironed from the maid. Pulling on her red skirt, she looked out the window and up at the castle. She could see the Theatre ship being prepared to take off and a thrill of excitement ran through her. She dressed quickly and stuffed all the things she would need for the short trip into a rucksack, making sure she added a potion, just in case they came across a flying monster and needed it. The mist was becoming worse now, she thought, or was it just that she was noticing it more now?

'Better hurry, kupo!' the moogle jolted her back to reality and she grabbed her rucksack in a hurry. 'I'll see you soon! Tell me about it! Kupo!' the moogle shouted after her as she ran down the stairs, smiled at the guy at the Inn counter who was letting her stay there on 'Tantalus Credit' and got onto the air cab that was just about to leave the station

'Theatre district please' she smiled, not remotely out of breath, ready for the day.

She got off the air cab and ran round to the hideout, where Blank and Zidane were waiting outside.

'Hey Isobelle' they both said and then Zidane added 'looking as sexy as ever I see.' And Isobelle laughed.

'Can't touch this!' she said sweetly to him and smiled as Blank, who smiled back at her. Zidane laughed at the witty reply and put his arm around her shoulders anyway.

'Come on you.' He said and guided her into the hideout, where Ruby was powdering her cheeks, much to everyone else's disgust. Zidane took his arm from her shoulders and waved his hands in the air, clearing the talcum power from his eyes.

'I guess that was why you were outside?' Isobelle laughed, got Talcum powder in her throat and started coughing. She ran outside again. 'I'll wait out here!' she shouted into the cloud, turned round and looked out over Lindblum from the balcony. Blank came over to join her and they indulged in idle small talk, of which they both laughed a lot about. Then they got onto the issue of the plan.

'I heard Princess Garnet was the prettiest girl in the whole of the Mist continent.' Isobelle breathed as she saw the spectacular view in front of her.

'I think you're far prettier.' Zidane came in from her side and Isobelle turned to look at him.

'Have you ever seen the Princess?' Isobelle turned to Zidane, annoyance in her voice. Zidane shook his head 'then don't compare me to her.' She finished and turned to look at the hideout, where people were battling through the cloud to the door. 'anyway, you'll see her, up close, today if you do your part right.' Isobelle picked at a bit of her skirt, getting tired of waiting.

'If! I tell you, I'm a trained actor, I'm more worried you'll screw up, with no lines and only a ten second appearance on stage. I'll get the Garnet, don't you doubt your gorgeous head about it.' Zidane replied, causing Blank to laugh quietly in the background.

'Well, I think its time to pick up our ship, don't you? Mwhahahaha' Baku said as everyone, including ruby, filed out of the hideout. Then they all rushed off like school kids at the end of school bell as Baku closed the door. Zidane, Blank and Isobelle all ran along together. Isobelle eager to see the ship and to feel the wind on her face and arms when they fly through the air. She had never been on an airship before.

She wasn't disappointed. She stood on the front of the ship and laughed as she was pushed back by the wind. Her red skirt whipping around her legs and her hair flying like she was in trance, she laughed and the wind took the sound and played with it. Skipping around the deck, she tired herself out and took to the side of the ship, looking over at the clouds clashing at the sides of the boat, splitting its white and leaving a trail of blue where the airship went.

'Enjoying yourself?' Zidane's voice hit her ear before the wind caught it and blew it away. Isobelle laughed and nodded her windswept head. 'I don't know if you know how to use them, but I got you these…' and he held out two daggers, like the ones he owned. Isobelle took them in both hands and laughed

'I know how to use them.' She said to Zidane when her laughter subsided 'I sold them when I needed the money, but it looks like you've got them back for me…' she carried on, then, unexpectedly, she fastened her arms around Zidane's neck and gave him a quick, tight hug, keeping the daggers away from him. 'Thank you!' she added and laughed. 'Thank you.' She said again and Zidane nodded his head as an acknowledgement and walked back into the ship again, where there was a ladder leading into the ship's hull again. Isobelle kept looking out at the clouds when she suddenly saw Alexandria come into view…

…Zidane climbed down the ladder and at the end walked down the hallway and opened a door into another room. He collected a few things and then lit a candle in the middle of the room. 'Who's there?' came a voice from the side door on the right…

Isobelle climbed down the ladder and looked in on the open doored room to see Zidane, Cinna, Blank and Marcus fighting someone. Zidane looked over to her and motioned for her to come in and join the action. Laughing, Isobelle took out her daggers and attacked the enemy. Marcus attacked him again and then, suddenly, the guy's mask broke and it was Baku! Isobelle laughed and high-fived Zidane's hand.

'Allrigh' everyone in there!' And so Baku recapped the plan once more…

The plan went pretty well. Isobelle didn't have to go on stage until the near end, where she was to offer a boat to Marcus and his lover, so she watched from the wings, smiling at the scenes, the special effects in the fighting and finally, telling 'good luck' to Zidane and Blank, who both replied that 'Luck had nothing to do with it, it's our expert skill.' But were thankful all the same. It was until Garnet and Zidane came up onto the stage just before Isobelle's part that she finally got to see the princess. She was the prettiest girl by far, and Isobelle had known some pretty spectacular looking girls. Garnet was the most beautifully Gorgeous girl Isobelle had seen, so much so that it took her breath away to be a stage's width away from her. Then the queen twigged who the girl on the stage was…

Isobelle was thrown onto the stage and she fell over next to Garnet, but before she could grab hold of something to stay in place, she was thrown back into Baku, who instinctively pushed her away so she fell near Blank. 'Gotcha' he said, his hand gripped tightly onto her arm. He pulled her up to the post he was holding onto, but didn't let go of her arm, although neither of them seemed to notice. 'Hang on tight' Blank said in her ear and Isobelle suddenly felt a bomb explode from her right. She closed her eyes and gripped even tighter onto the post. Then, she felt herself slipping as the ship racketeered and fell into the Evil Forest. She saw Zidane try frantically to catch Garnet as she slipped, along with a little black mage and the knight that had come up with Zidane and Garnet onto the stage, off the deck and fell into the forest whilst the ship still moved. Next thing, Zidane jumped off.

'ZIDANE!' Blank yelled just beside her ear, causing her ear to go deaf for a few moments. She heard Blank swear violently about his friend's behaviour, then seemed to realise what was happening. 'Hold on tight ok? Don't mind me…' he said as he pushed his body down onto hers, trying to keep her form harm but to also help himself from falling off the ship.

Isobelle was still thrown a few feet away when they crashed. Blank ended up in a tree…


	3. Misplaced Music

Zidane came down the hill towards the wreck of the Prima Vista just as Blank and Isobelle were getting so their feet were on the floor again. He didn't stop to notice them, he ran on, asking where the princess had gone, and then he was running off into the forest. Isobelle watched him go, feeling a little rejected for being pushed so quickly to the side.

'Don't worry about him' a voice came from behind her and she turned round to see Blank 'He's just off after the latest eye candy.' He carried on and was relieved that Isobelle didn't take it personally. 'Can't see why, Garnet's a princess. Why he hopes to score with her I don't know, but that's just his nature…' And with that, Blank ran into the Prima Vista and started to help pile out all the important items that were there. Isobelle slipped behind them all and into the room where the band were setting up their equipment to practise their music. She sat on the steps and listened with her head in her hands as they played music that transported her into another world. 'Music's good for the soul.' Blank was back, sitting next to her. She had closed her eyes, thinking about the music and she hadn't heard him come in. 'That first day we saw you…' but the Blank trailed off and stood up. He held out his hand to the girl; 'may I have this dance?' he said cornily and smiled. Isobelle looked up and him and smiled also. Putting her hand in his she fitted into his posture and they danced to the music.

'Stuck in an enchanted forest, dancing to misplaced music…' Blank laughed

'Very 'Midsummer's Night Dream'-esque…' Isobelle added.

'Where are the fairies?' Blank asked

'Where's the fool?' Isobelle retaliated.

'Out there, looking for the princess, or here, dancing with an enchanting girl…' Blank replied.

'What-' Isobelle was about to ask, but they sprung apart as Baku entered the room and his signature laughter filled the air.

'You two! 'I want to be your canary' eat your heart out…' he laughed and carried on his way. Blank smiled shyly at Isobelle

'I should…' he said, gesturing to follow Baku. Isobelle laughed and agreed he should with a nod of her head.

Isobelle went out the ship and watched as Cinna searched desperately for his 'Garnet doll' then, she saw the knight that had come onto the stage with Zidane and Garnet, the little black mage and Zidane walking back towards the ship. 'Hey, help me with Rusty here!' Zidane called to Cinna, who didn't respond but another member of Tantalus did and together they dragged the knight, who wanted to find the princess, into the Prima Vista. Isobelle watched as the little mage sagged slightly and then almost fell over, except he fell and leant upon her because she got mover to him in time.

'Come on you.' She said and led the mage into the ship also, half-carrying him into a room and laying him on the bed. 'Are you ok?' she asked, but the little mage seemed very ill and couldn't really talk. 'what's your name?' she asked and put her ear near the mage's mouth so she could hear the reply.

'vi…vi.' The mage said and Isobelle smiled.

'That's a cool name, Vivi.' She said and then, before he could answer she stood up. 'I'm going to go get help for you now ok Vivi? Just keep laying here, Someone will be back in a minute.' She smiled at him and walked over to the door. Closing the door delicately Isobelle looked around for Zidane. She saw him walking to the exit of the Prima Vista and she grabbed him. 'Vivi, the little mage, he needs help.' She said as a greeting, putting her rejection to the side, for she understood Zidane, The ladies man that he was.

'Isobelle!' By the tone in his voice, Isobelle could tell that Zidane had forgotten about her and was now feeling guilty 'I'm delighted to see you're ok. Where is the mage? I have a potion to give him.' Zidane asked and smiled. Isobelle smiled back and pulled Zidane along to where the room was in view.

'In there' she pointed and then started to walk away again, brushing off drying mud from her skirt. Zidane didn't think much of Isobelle's thoughts at that moment. He was too worried for the princess.

Isobelle went and sat outside the ship again, watching the world go by. She saw Zidane, Vivi and the knight go past, Zidane smiled at her tightly and the little mage nodded sullenly. Leaning up against the tree Blank had been stuck in, the one all the items were piled up against, she wondered how she was going to get out of here.

She remembered the thought she had had when she was back in Lindblum of how her life was forever about to change and thought to now. Stuck in a forest where no one has ever gotten out alive…

'Hey, Isobelle!' Blank suddenly called over to her and jogged her from her dreams. 'Come on! We need to catch up to Zidane, give him this' he shouted, waving a parchment to her. Isobelle got up and ran over to him. 'You've got your daggers, right?' he said, knowing that she did as she had 'stolen' a belt and harness for them from the weapon's compartment. She jiggled her hips, emphasising the belt anyway, and Blank smiled at her 'So what we waiting for?' he took her hand 'Lets go!' and they both started running through the forest…

…Blank needed to drink some of the water in the spring, But Isobelle was ok.

'You go on; I'll catch up in a minute. I can run faster than you. The creatures here aren't hard. Go on!' he ordered her and she ran on, up to the main plant enclosure, where Zidane, Vivi and the knight were fighting the mega-plant, Plant Brain.

'Isobelle!' Zidane shouted to her and she smiled

'Haven't you killed it yet?' she shouted back and launched an attack on the plant with her daggers. Zidane attacked again and then she got another view of fire magic and the knight's ability to merge his weapon with Vivi's magic to make 'Fire sword'. The plant howled and wilted before their eyes. 'YES!' Isobelle smiled and punched the air. Zidane ran over to Garnet and fed her the medicine Blank had made up and whilst she was coming round, Isobelle noticed Blank standing at the doorway

'You're a really great fighter.' He said and smiled at her again. There was just something about him. 'When we get out of this forest, would you want to go out to dinner with me? I mean, I know loads of places in Lindblum we could go…' Blank asked, smiling sheepishly

'I'd love to.' Isobelle replied and smiled back at him. No one else must have heard them.

'Come on! We'd better go!' Blank shouted over at the others as Garnet started to come round. 'COME ON! The room's collapsing!' he shouted again, grabbed Isobelle's hand and dragged her out the room.

They were all running away from Plant Spiders as the forest started to petrify itself. Blank let go of Isobelle's hand and got in the way of the plant spider from getting Zidane. Isobelle turned round and slowed down, waiting for Blank to come back, but he got caught by the spider and instead of trying to get free, he threw the map to Zidane. Zidane caught the map and as he was running, grabbed Isobelle's arm and dragged her along, out the forest. The forest closed up behind them as Vivi, the last of the group, stumbled out…

'BLANK!' Zidane shouted, pounding on the petrified plant roots. Nest to him was a girl in a red dress and a white top, dirty but pretty, pounding her hands raw, scratching at the stone plant and shouting through angry tears 'BLANK' as well. Zidane gave up, knowing it was no use as the girl became close to hysterics. 'BLANK!' she shouted again, throwing her face forwards, her hands back in fists and her body crumpled. She attacked the stone wall again and started kicking at it. 'BLANK, COME BACK!' she shouted through ragged tears and then Zidane put his arms like a restriction belt around her torso and arms, preventing her from hitting the wall anymore.

'Isobelle, Calm down. Tantalus won't let him stay petrified forever. He'll be ok, but now we have to focus on ourselves, we have to get to Lindblum' he reasoned as Isobelle calmed down.

'Thieves, scoundrels, kidnapping the princess like that!' The knight started up…


	4. Rejection

'Shut up Rusty' Zidane said in an outtake of breath. Isobelle lowered herself to the floor and started to push her finger around on the ground, making patterns and pictures with the dust.

'Scoundrels! And one of you is a girl! Did they force you into their gang? What part did you play in this monstrosity!' the knight rounded on Isobelle. She looked up, nonplussed.

'What's your name?' she asked, causing the knight to stutter in disbelief.

'Adelbert Steiner of the Knights Of Pluto.' He answered, being the polite guy that he was, he never left a question unanswered.

'Hello Steiner.' She replied, smiling. 'I'm Isobelle. I live in Lindblum. I was brought into this play by my own will. I am no thief, nor a scoundrel, just a girl, an actor.' She explained to him and went to look at the ground again.

'I bet you stole things from the castle as well. Kidnapping the princess, causing the Queen to loose her temper, no, I need to get the princess back to the castle, where she belongs.' Steiner stayed stuck on his podium.

'I am not going back to the castle!' a regal voice intervened from where Garnet was standing…

'Zidane, you were heading back to Lindblum, right?' Garnet turned to Zidane once Steiner was unable to argue anymore. Zidane nodded. 'That is where I'd like to go, can you please take me there?' she asked, smiling at him. He was a ladies man, how could he refuse?

'Let's get some rest first.' Zidane smiled at her. Isobelle sat a little closer to the fire and laid her head to rest on the floor whilst the rest f the group went into the tent they had erected along with the help of a moogle, who had also given them a moogle flute. Steiner, the knight, refused to rest.

'You're not going to sleep there are you?' he asked once he came near Isobelle. Isobelle shifted herself so she was looking up at him

'I've slept in a worse place, there's no more room in the tent, you're guarding over us all, there's no wind, why shouldn't I sleep here?' she asked back at him and he stuttered once more

'I am protecting the princess. You'll get attacked by monsters in the night.' He replied.

'I have daggers.' She yawned and lay back to her side. 'I can protect myself' she added and then closed her eyes. 'Night Knight Steiner.' She smiled in the first stages of sleep and then slept peacefully, dreaming of the inn back in Lindblum, Lindblum itself and Blank…

The Ice Caverns were cold and held no pleasure in store for Isobelle as she meagrely walked along with the rest of the group. Steiner and Zidane focussed on Garnet, Vivi was up ahead melting ice with his magic and so she was left feeling even more rejected and alone. _If Blank was here I'd be having fun_ she thought again and again, trying to picture her friend in corners of the Ice Cavern, ready to jump out at her and scare her, saying 'How could you think I was petrified?' and drag her headlong into another adventure. But he wasn't there and Isobelle was getting colder and colder.

'Vivi!' Isobelle ran to the little mage as he fell off the side of the ice walk. 'Vivi…?' she shook the mage 'He's in a kind of deep sleep…' she shouted up to the others. As she went to climb back up the stairs, she saw Steiner look over at Vivi, turn round and then also fall down the gap. She jumped off the stairs again and ran to the Knight, shaking him and calling his name too.

'What's happening?' Zidane asked Isobelle, but she turned up to him, smiled lazily and collapsed on top of Steiner, sleeping peacefully. Zidane climbed up the ladder again to see Garnet also asleep 'Oh Garnet, not you too!' he said in angered confusion. Then he went off to find out the source of the problem…

'What have you done to the Princess!' Steiner shouted at Zidane as he came back. It woke Isobelle up and she got to her feet quickly. Brushing off ice from her skirt that had flown out across the ice and as a result was soaked.

'Nothing!' Zidane argued back. Isobelle looked at Vivi who adjusted his hat

'Aaah, what wonderful company. We all get along so well' she whispered drolly to him, she wasn't sure but she thought he heard him laugh…

They came out of the Ice Cavern to see a village in the distance. Zidane turned to Garnet and they started up a conversation of disguise. Isobelle waited patiently, not knowing why because it was like she wasn't there anyway. That is why she was jolted back to reality from her daydreaming when all the faces were looking at her and Zidane had just said her name

'Pardon?' she said, hoping that she would get the gist of the conversation

'I said, Aren't you Isobelle?' Isobelle looked at him blankly. 'you're just here by coincidence, not part of a big plan, aren't you Isobelle?' he said, making the question longer, anger in his voice.

'Yes…' Isobelle replied, looking away from the group. Feeling foolish and scared. She was with people she didn't know, the only person she did know was acting like she didn't exist and she was in a place she had never been to in her life, so she couldn't just walk away.

'Come on, let's go.' Zidane said to the group and they carried on towards the village. He grabbed hold of Isobelle's arm and pulled her towards him 'are you ok?' he asked. Isobelle nodded, thinking of Blank. 'Look, I know we're in a strange place, but we'll get back to Lindblum soon, I promise.' Isobelle tried to hold back tears. She didn't care about not being home; she had no friends, no house to call home at Lindblum 'Do you miss Blank?' Zidane sussed and Isobelle's lips curved slightly up at the name, 'He'll be fine, I know that.' Zidane put his arm round Isobelle's shoulders, gave her a quick squeeze and then ran to catch up to Garnet, who Isobelle made a mental note to call Dagger now.

They got to the village and went into the Inn. The keeper was asleep and Zidane tapped him on the head to wake him up. 'A room for five please' Zidane stated and smiled at the keeper. The keeper looked at all of the people, his eyes catching on Garnet.

'It's rude to stare.' Isobelle added as Zidane was about to say something. The keeper shook his head as if to clear confusion from himself and handed over the keys to the room beside them.

'It's only for four, but we could give you a pillow and duvet and someone could sleep on the floor.

'That'll be me, I don't mind.' Isobelle piped up. Zidane looked at her with protesting eyes, but didn't argue. Knowing that Isobelle felt like she was a spare part, a nuisance and he also realised just how bad Isobelle had slept in Lindblum, a roof over her head was probably luxury, she wouldn't mind sleeping on the floor. He nodded in forced agreement and they cramped themselves into the room.

'Er, Zidane, where shall I sleep?' Garnet asked, Zidane turned to her

'I know it isn't luxury, but you have to sleep in here with the rest of us.' Zidane said, Causing Steiner's blood to boil.

'Don't worry, he wont

peek', he isn't that bad…' Isobelle advised Garnet, but she wasn't sure herself. 'Anyway, this wont be for that long, one night.' Isobelle patted the princess on the arm and walked into the room herself, holding a pillow and duvet that the keeper had given her.

Isobelle laid her things down on the floor by the vanity desk. Setting up her bed there seemed the best choice for there was the most space there…

In the night, Isobelle laid awake, not being able to sleep. She heard someone get up quietly and go to the window and then she heard a soft, lullaby voice singing to the air. _Is that Garnet?_ She asked herself. The lullaby was so soft, the voice so tuned, that Isobelle found herself falling to sleep calmly, the image of Blank petrifying before her eyes, pain and fear carved on his face even when he was trying his best not to show it…


	5. Drinking Fresh Dew

Isobelle woke fiercely, jolted awake by the dream she had been imagining. She had dreamt that Blank had become un-petrified, but because all the rest of the forest was petrified, he had been crushed under stone as the plant statues fell on top of him. She got up quickly and silently slipped out the room. The keeper wasn't even awake yet. As she went outside she saw it was sunrise and she looked around for a good place to see it by. There she saw an observatory tower and she ran towards it, racing the sun's rays towards the top of the hill. The monsters were only just awakening so they were slow and couldn't focus on fighting well, so they left Isobelle alone.

Isobelle sat down at the top of the hill and watched as the sun rose over Gaia. She put her hands behind her and held herself in the position she was in. she remembered the first time she had seen the sunrise, the beauty she felt as it ran its rays across her face. The grass underneath her was dabbled in dew and she carefully wiped a drop from a grass stem and tasted it in her mouth. There was no substance that she could have told about, but the feeling that she was drinking fresh morning dew from grass stems was pleasant. _This is what life's about_ she thought as she watched the sun get onto its podium. She closed her eyes and dazed her mind about the early morning…

'What are you scheming?' a familiar voice came from behind her and her head shot up from where it had lagged onto her chest. She moved one of her arms to find it was become numb and mechanically rubbed her neck.

'I was watching the sun rise.' Isobelle answered and got up from where she was sitting. Shaking her arms she got some feeling back 'I didn't sleep at all last night, so I just dozed then.' She gave the knight a stern look 'Happy?' she asked and then her legs collapsed due to pins and needles. 'AAAGH!' she said annoyed. She looked at the sun to see it high on its podium and guessed she had probably been asleep for at least three hours.

'I say, are you alright?' the knight asked her and she gritted her teeth, moving her legs slightly and wincing as the pain shot through her she growled at him

'What do you care? I'm not the princess! I'm just looking for a way home!' Isobelle stood up sharply, her face portraying her pain. 'Just, just, leave me alone!' she shouted and started running. She didn't get far, her legs buckled again and she went flying on her face down the hill. Pushing her skirt down, trying to compose herself, Isobelle felt tears burn in her eyes. She shed them, hoping the stupid knight wouldn't follow. He did, but he pretended she wasn't there and walked straight past her and into the house next to her. Isobelle got up shakily and made her way back to the village…

She slid her way into the inn and quickly made her way to the bathroom, where she washed her face and arms from dirt. Her skirt was able to take a beating and anything came off it, she would wash it that night in a stream if need be, but it could hang on for now, and her top was heard-wearing too. She walked out of the inn and looked around quickly for Zidane and Dagger. It wasn't hard; they were standing over a pipe near the windmill.

'Sniff…Sniff sniff…' a voice was coming through the pipe.

'What's going on?' Isobelle asked and Zidane turned to look at her. He, as always, was looking at her chest when he talked, but Isobelle was used to it.

Vivi's stuck down there, we need to get him out.' Zidane said and Isobelle looked from him to a worried look on Garnet's face and back again. 'I'll go.' She said and walked into the windmill, about to ask, if there was a person in there, how she could get down into the hole. As she walked in, she saw a passage down into the ground and guessed that she needed to go down there. She looked down, her hands on the sides of the rim to see how far down it was.

It wasn't far and just as Isobelle was about to go down, a man came towards her 'what do you think you're doing?' Isobelle looked at him quickly. She hadn't get her leg over yet, had just gripped the rim tighter. Thinking quickly, Isobelle smiled at him

'I was looking for an adult, I thought there might be pone down there but now I've found you…' she stood up and brushed down her dress 'I'll just go tell my friends and then I'll take you to what I need to show someone.' She smiled at him again, trying desperately to think where she could take him. She slipped round the corner to Zidane and Dagger and whispered quickly to them what was going on '…you go down and rescue Vivi, I'll take the man away.' She concluded really fast and they all nodded. She ran back inside 'OK, this way!' she smiled at the man, gripped his hand and started dragging him towards the observatory tower. She didn't see Zidane and Dagger run into the windmill, but guessed that they had…

'Oh… well, it was here!' Isobelle gestured to a piece of field land where there had apparently been a treasure chest. The man scowled at her and started walking back to the village. 'Sorry…' she called out to him, being sincere about her lying and knowing he'd take it as she was sorry she'd wasted his time.' She heard him grumble abhor and the she turned her back. _I hope Vivi's ok… I hope they're all ok…_ Isobelle thought, wandering towards a cargo ship that had just landed. She hid behind the ship as she saw people coming up from a trap door into the floor. They were carrying cases that had the Alexandrian mark on them. They loaded them onto the cargo ship one by one and then stopped abruptly, looking towards the observatory tower. Isobelle shifted her position too -slowly, so that they didn't see her move- and saw a familiar knight running towards the ship. She saw feet run into the trap door from under the airship, but then she had to slip round the ship to the ladder, so as to keep her skirt from giving her away. She did not want the knight to know she had been spying because then he would completely assume that she was a thief, a scoundrel…whatever, and she would never be able to prove him wrong. She had to move a step at a time, letting her skirt calm down before she moved again. Once she got to the ladder, she could feel the cargo ship rumbling, ready for take off and came face to face with Zidane.

'Isobelle, glad you could join us!' he said warmly and then jumped onto the ladder behind Dagger. Isobelle put her hand on the ladder also and watched as Zidane got high enough for her to get on.

He pinched Dagger's arse… Isobelle couldn't keep in her laughter and a few giggles slipped out, but they were torn away by the engine. Isobelle got up after Zidane and went to go into the ship, but Zidane slammed the door in her face. She started banging on it, as it had locked itself from the inside with the force of which Zidane slammed it.

'Come on…' she said, getting agitated, they were flying now and Isobelle didn't want to be on the end of the ship where she couldn't see anything. Getting agitated further, the next minute she was yelling her lungs out, banging on the door and then…Vivi opened it and she fell nearly on top of him, but she managed to grab the door frame in time and steadied herself. 'Thanks.' She said to him and he bowed his head in appreciation and then, like clockwork, adjusted his hat. They closed the door together and ran up on deck when they heard a thump…

They fought black mage 3 quickly; he flew off before Isobelle even got warmed up. Dagger grabbed the wheel and they went off full pedal towards Lindblum (Dagger having already decided that was where she wanted to go) Isobelle went to walk into the cockpit, when Zidane shouted at her and she saw Vivi flying over the edge of the ship, she went to run to him instead to help bring the little mage up again when Blank demented Mage 3 came flying back. With a shier turn, they missed being barbequed and Isobelle had to hold on herself, as she was thrown down onto the deck, hitting her head and making her feel dizzy as she went. She gripped her hands into the wood on the deck, put her head as low as she could and closed her eyes. She could feel her skirt going wild and her hair attacking her face, crazed by the wind.

When they were in the Lindblum gate, Isobelle put her head up to see her home being closed off to her, but no, they managed to get though and fly onto Lindblum again. She stood up, whooping at their luck, a smiled etched on her face as she turned round to the cockpit. She ran to garnet inside, full of adrenalin

'Well done! Wow!' she let off some steam and looked at Garnet, who was looking at the girl apprehensively. 'That was some pretty nice flying you did there. Well dome partner!' she forgot Steiner was standing near.

'Partner! How dare you call the princess your…partner! That is not…' he started up but the princess silenced him.

'Steiner!' she scolded. 'Thank you Isobelle. I thought it was pretty…Neat…too.' She said, struggling to find the right words so that she sounded like a normal girl. They smiled at each other, a wave of understanding running through them…


	6. Home

They neared Lindblum and Isobelle felt something slip away. As they went into the gates of the castle and got out of their ship, Garnet being escorted into the castle by guards, Isobelle hung back. She followed carefully into the lift to see the Regent and avoided eye contact with everyone. When they got into the regent's quarters, she bowed to him and wasn't surprised to see he was an oglop. The rumour had been spreading around the city and Isobelle had heard it many a time. She smiled when she was supposed to, kept her mouth shut, didn't speak her mind and then backed out with Zidane and Vivi whilst Steiner and Garnet talked to the Regent.

'I suppose you can go home now.' Vivi came up to Isobelle as she got into the lift. She looked at him and smiled

'Yeah. Yeah, I guess I can.' She volunteered the answer and crossed her arms over her chest, where Zidane was absent-mindedly looking at from the other side of the lift.

'I'd love to see where you live.' Vivi replied, looking up at the girl with his big eyes.

'Yeah? Well… I may show you sometime… but I need to tidy it up now, it'll be in a mess.' She smiled down at him and pushed herself out the door as soon as they touched down on the right level. She hurried her way towards the air cabs. 'Business District please' she said quickly and sat down.

'Wait! Wait!' Vivi's voice rang out from the platform. The air cab settled back down again and let the two others on. Zidane sat down in front of Isobelle and Vivi sat by her side.

'Are you still worried about Blank?' Zidane asked her sweetly, putting his hand on her leg. She looked at it without saying a word, then up at him.

'No. he'll be fine, I know that.' She replied just as sweetly.

'Why do you want to get away from us so quickly?' Vivi asked. Isobelle let her head loll backwards.

'I don't…I loved our adventure together, it was the most fun I've had for years…I just want to get…' she sighed '…Home.' She closed her eyes.

'Where is your home?' Vivi persisted

'The Industrial District.' She said, her guard down

'Why are we going to the Business District then?' Vivi asked just as sweetly.

'Because I have some things I need to do. Shopping…' she trailed off.

'But you said you just wanted to get home…' Vivi prompted

'If you live in the industrial district, why did you convince Tantalus to get a room for you in the inn?' Zidane piped in

'Because I wanted to treat the whole thing as a mini-break!' Isobelle snapped and pulled her head forwards again. 'Don't follow me.' She growled at them as she stood up and walked to the front of the ship as it settled at the air station in the business district.

'Zidane…' Vivi looked at the blond haired guy '…I don't think she has a home…' Vivi finished, watching the girl run down the steps into the street

'No, Vivi… I don't think she does…' Zidane agreed, watching the girl also,

Isobelle finished her tale to the moogle in the inn and smiled

'And now, I need to find myself a place to sleep for the night…' she wryly commented

'I could get you to stay here for a night… credit…pay back when you want…' The moogle was volunteering but Isobelle didn't want to be charity anymore.

'No. I need to stand up tall, be the woman my mother always told I would be.' She said, physically standing up from where she was sitting on the floor so she was the same height as the moogle. 'I'll see you later.' She said, smiling.

Isobelle walked out the inn and immediately started to brisk walk, her head down, to the fountain, where her world had changed. She sat down on the side and put her head in her hands. How was she going to get a home? She knew the stupid laws: 'you need a property to send money to for a job, you need a job to secure a property' and she was trapped by those two rules. Against her will, tears scored her cheeks and her shoulders convulsed quietly.

'Do you realise how wind-swept your hair is?' Zidane's voice came from above her and she felt a being sit next to her, a tail playing on her back. 'aww, come on, don't cry. I'm not that bad.' He joked to no avail. 'Isobelle…' he said. He was no good with girls crying. He put his hand on her back, but she elbowed it away. 'Look, sweetie, what's wrong?' he said, pushing one of her hairs behind her ear again 'I'll take you to the hideout. You can calm down there, ok?' Zidane said, his hand regaining its position on her back and pushing her softly to her feet.

'NO!' she shouted, causing a few people to look at her. Zidane drew back from her and looked at her shocked 'S...sorry.' she managed to stutter to him and then cried harder 'Oh, it's all gone wrong.' She mumbled into her hands. She lifted her face, not caring how he saw her. 'Take me to the hideout…' she said and his arm went round her shoulders, leading her towards the cabs. Vivi went to run up to her, but Zidane shook his head as she sobbed a little more.

When they got to the hideout, Zidane sat her on a stool and held both her hands. 'Now, tell me what it is.' He said. He knew why she was upset, but he knew from past experience that girl likes to spill her heart out on her own accord, not be told what is wrong with her.

'Well. I don't have a home. I was born in Treno, lived in Treno…I've never had a home… not since I was 4. My dad was a filthy scumbag that left my mum as soon as I was born. He didn't like the responsibility of a daughter…'Zidane coughed quietly and couldn't look Isobelle in the eye. '...well, when I was 4, my mother died and this man decided that it would be great to take me in for a bit…' Isobelle smiled 'I nearly died… he put me in cages with monsters and forced me to fight them with a single dagger. Well, when I was able with the money I was tipped with I brought my own pair of daggers, so I could fight better. Well, turns out that this man… this man was my father. He wanted me dead. He couldn't cope that he had a daughter, a legacy of him, so he put me in cages with people jeering for me to die, with a dagger that barely scratched, and left me to die. But I was strong.' Zidane looked up, wide-eyed at the girl. It wasn't the story that she was telling that was incredible; it was how strong she was when she was telling it. She didn't falter, she didn't cry… 'I ran away to Lindblum, have lived on the streets since. Of course, I've had guys and lived with them for a bit… as you saw…and heard.' Isobelle smiled wryly. 'What a life.' She finished and wiped a cold tear from her cheek.

'Live here.' Zidane replied

'What?' Isobelle asked, astonished.

'Live here. Tantalus isn't back yet… they'll need someone looking after their hideout.' Zidane explained, getting up. 'Problem solved.' he smiled

'I can't… I'd feel like you were doing a favour for me… I don't want charity.' She replied, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

'I'm not…'

'Yes you are! You're offering me kindness, a place to stay, when I just wanted you to listen and agree…'

'I'm giving you an alternative than sleeping on the floor of a grubby street! A place…'

'Maybe I want to sleep on a street…'

'Then you're stupid for making me care. For crying! You want your fate, yet you cry yourself to sleep! You'd be better off in a Brothel!'

'You…You…UGH!' she spat at him and sat down again.

'I'm actually giving you a death sentence. One Tantalus is back, they'll want to know why you're here, and saying that I let you stay will not help at all. You'll have to battle for your existence under this roof. Believe me; I'm not giving you a place to stay on a plate. More like a bloodied, rotting, slashed cloth.' Zidane replied, his voice getting calmer but keeping a serious tone.

'Thank you Zidane!' Isobelle ran to him and hugged him

'Don't mention it.' He said, hugging her back. 'Just don't girlify the place.' He joked and Isobelle playfully punched him on the arm. 'Heh, come on, lets go get some food. Caviar really doesn't fill a stomach…'


	7. Chocographing

A couple of days passed with Isobelle living in the hideout. She felt strangely comfortable there, as if she had lived there for a few years. The way Zidane had told her to expect the Tantalus gang; she was constantly practising her latest reasons on why she should live there, why she was entitled to stay there…

She knew that Zidane and the group had gone to Bermecia, She knew that Garnet had run off again, and she was happy with it. She didn't want to hang around with people who didn't want her there. She was getting adept in her thief skills, managing to get prized items out of remains.

She went chocobo hunting too, and that was the things she was doing when she ran up to South Gate. Choco, the same one Zidane had ridden to get to Gizamaluke's Grotto, was a red chocobo who climbed mountains. When she had first called him, because she needed a ride around the Lindblum area, she was surprised to see he was light blue and once, when she had been chocographing for a few attempts, a haze had eroded the landscape away and when she came back from her coma, she was sitting atop a red chocobo that could climb mountains.

South gate, the start of her next adventure…

She had needed some supplies of potions, for she was seeing how far a distance she could go on choco's back, but he was only a chocobo and climbing mountains was hard work, so when they stopped she needed to defend herself. She was just buying her last potion when she heard a commotion behind her. She hadn't seen who was in the room because she was only passing by, but she turned around and smiled at the scene

'You two are the thieves who helped steal the princess!' A rusty-armoured knight was shouting. She started towards them, seeing the other two people and knowing them too, when a certain princess ran up to the group as well. Fearing her chance that they may leave without her, Isobelle slipped up to the group, behind the knight.

'RUSTY!' she yelled at him in greeting and he jumped into the air, turning round quickly.

'You…you!' he screeched in recognition. 'heh! Well, the princess wants to come back to Alexandria now and you can't stop us.' Isobelle had a mental picture of Steiner pulling a face at her, sticking his tongue out in a 'na-na-na-na-na' way.

'That's nice because I'm just passing through.' She replied, causing Steiner;s smug grin to slip from his face.

'You are not going to tell Zidane where I am?' Garnet asked her, a hint of disappointment in her voice and she smiled

'Did you want me to? Zidane went to Bermecia.' She replied and turned to the two thieves. 'What you up to?' she asked them, meaning it as a greeting, which they accepted. Steiner however started jumping up and down 'Calm down Steiner, I know you're exited that I'm here but…' she said to him briskly and turned back to Marcus and Cinna

'I'm gunna go save our Bro, Blank.' Marcus replied and Cinna nodded 'Cinna's going back to Lindblum.' He also explained and Cinna nodded at that too. Isobelle laughed and then, in a very serious tone and very decisive manner said

'I'm coming with you.' To Marcus and smiled. He shrugged

'Whatever.' He seemed to say and turned round to go out the room

'My Knight and I shall accompany you too. I feel it was our fault that Blank was…petrified.' Garnet added, speaking for Steiner too. They walked out of the room and down to the air station platform. Cinna got on the waiting air ship.

'Go save our Bro!' he said as goodbye to Marcus, nodded at Isobelle, Garnet and Steiner again and disappeared into the ship as it started to depart.

'So, where we headed?' Isobelle turned to Marcus.

'I heard there's someone in Treno that owns some Supersoft. We need to acquire that to help save our Bro.' Marcus replied, looking at the view.

'Hmph, he means steal it.' Steiner started up but Isobelle cut across him

'Choco! I need to send him back to the forest. I'll be right back, hold the ship for me!' Isobelle ran out the station and to choco. 'I need you to go back to the forest Choco.' Choco nuzzled Isobelle's cheek. 'I love you too. Now… go.' Choco blinked. 'Choco. I need you to go so I can help my friends to save Blank.' Choco 'kweeh'ed. 'Choco…' Isobelle sighed and watched as the Chocobo finally understood and ran down the mountainside. 'Goodbye Choco…' she whispered, wondering when she would see the yellow feather-bird again. She walked into the station again

'ISOBELLE!' Marcus called from the airship window. She started running to the door, flung it open and stumbled inside.

'Made it!' she smiled at the people in the ship, who sat there with stony expressions, sighed and sat down in an empty seat behind where Garnet and Steiner were sitting. She stretched out on the seat, leaning up against the wall.

The carriage stopped abruptly and Isobelle fell onto the floor, hitting her head on the seat. She had fallen asleep, too much exploring in such a little time had meant late night, early mornings and constant movement. She got up quickly, drawing her daggers and followed the other three out the carriage and onto the tracks.

'Oh no, not him again…' she moaned inwardly as they faced the Black Mage 3 again. She brought out her daggers and attacked swiftly, being hit by a thunder spell for her trouble. It was then she saw a mage staff hanging from his cloak and without thinking, she made a grab for it and was amazed that as she pulled her hand back it was gripped around the thing. She brought it back with her and threw it behind her to pick up in a moment. Garnet healed them as Steiner, her and Marcus fought and stole items from the mage until it fell down, defeated.

They got back on the train again and took up how they were before, only Isobelle couldn't get to sleep again. After a while, Garnet turned round and smiled at her.

'What adventures have you had since last time we met then?' she asked and Isobelle smiled, launching into how she had levelled Choco up, how she was climbing over mountains and things, although South gate was the furthest she had ever got

'Choco doesn't like going too far away for now, but one day, we'll explore the whole world.' Isobelle said dreamily. Garnet smiled at her and agreed

'Sounds to me like you were making your way eventually towards the Evil Forest.' Garnet suspected in the end and Isobelle laughed

'Maybe.' She replied as they came to their destination. Marcus and Steiner got off, Steiner helping the princess off whilst Isobelle stumbled off again, forgetting about the step there.

They made a quick dash to Dali and picked up a few things there. Isobelle hung back at the entrance, remembering the last time they were there, the feelings she had had then. She still had most of them, except she wasn't so scared about the people she was with. _Comfortable companions_ she thought as she wandered back with them to Treno.

As they got into the gates of Treno, Steiner started ranting on about staying together, safety in a place crawling with thieves that would steal from the princess. Garnet wandered off to the left, Marcus to the right and when Steiner turned his back, wondering where the princess was, Isobelle slipped the way Marcus went, hoping to catch up with him…


	8. Unfair Judgement

Treno was a place where Isobelle felt comfortable and completely on edge at the exact same moment. She wandered round the place in a daze, her skirt catching on the floor now and again but never tearing. She watched as the little kids ran around being knights and nobles, stood outside the auction house whilst the nobles themselves came out with their newly acquired items that they just HAD to get, swapped tails with the moogle outside the weapon shop, battled the monster inside the weapon shop and watched people come out glowing or crying from the card stadium.

'Hey.' A voice came from behind her as she was marvelling at the stadium. She turned round to see Marcus standing there. He stood next to her and looked at where she had been looking. She turned round and joined in with looking at the building. 'so… You came with me to save Blank…' he said, trying to asses the situation

'Yeah, he owes me a free meal and I want to make sure he gets me it.' She said non-committal. She didn't know if Marcus understood, didn't care all that much either. Why would she want to tell him what she felt like before she had even told herself?

'We'd better go meet up with Baku…' Marcus said after a bit more. He could tell that Isobelle wasn't going to talk to him straight out. He was quite surprised actually, because all his experience of girls had been them gushing their hearts out before they had even thought things through. Isobelle _was_ different, like Blank had confided on the ship just before they had gone onto the show. Don't get Marcus' thought wrong. Isobelle wasn't unexpectedly pulling his heart, making love appear in his mind about her. There was just something about her…

Baku, Marcus, Garnet and Steiner looked disconsolately into the river as they carried along. Isobelle thought things in her head, playing out a daydream that she would be the one to save Blank, that he would be extremely happy she was there…

They crept around the room, trying to find the supersoft. But instead, they found Dr. Tot. Marcus and Isobelle looked at each other with their eyebrows raised as Garnet and Steiner explained their need for the item to Garnet's ex-teacher. Same as they followed dubiously as Steiner and Garnet naively walked with purpose to the teacher's house. Expecting anything, Isobelle kept her hands near her daggers, As Marcus, she noticed, kept his hand un-subtly near his sword handle.

Then, they were toppled into the trust, or rather, the decisive hands of the Dr.Tot because he saw then, handed them, the supersoft and gave them a getaway. As they climbed down the ladder into the Gargan Roo, Marcus and Isobelle were still wary and as soon as they were out of earshot, having volunteered to go switch a few switches to get the Gargan's attention, they voiced their opinions

'I do not like this.' Isobelle said quietly.

'Me either. He could give us in like that.' Marcus replied, snapping his fingers.

'What shall we do?' She said

'What can we do?'

'I could call Choco…'

'He would only carry one of us, two if we're lucky. There are four of us… '

'Ok… so we stick with it, but as soon as we can, we get away from the princess and the knight.' Isobelle said after a few moments of them both thinking, as they pressed the buttons and flicked the switches needed, Marcus agree with her unhappily

'Now, let's go tell then we're done.' He said and they ran back to their group.

They got on the Gargan and Isobelle, tensely, sat down on the back of the carriage.

'Dr. Tot is still the nice caring gentleman I see.' Steiner swiped at Marcus and Isobelle, who knew he was referring to them, Zidane and the rest of the group. As he sat in front of Isobelle, Isobelle kicked him in the head, for what was where her foot was level with.

'Sorry, foot slipped.' She said, avoiding Marcus' eye because she would burst out laughing…

'You go fight it, I need to calm the Poor thing.' Isobelle shouted at Marcus who was waiting for her to jump down. The 'poor thing' was the Gargan they were riding and the 'it' was Ralvurahua. Isobelle stroked the Gargan's back and head softly, whispering in a calming voice to the thing as she watched the battle. She felt sorry for the snake thing, this was its home and they were invading it. Dr. Tot had said these tunnels hadn't been used to years, plenty of time for this thing to grow. Why did they have to kill it? She went back to the Gargan, turning her back on the fight…

They got off at Alexandria and walked onto the platform. Isobelle walked on with the others, and kept going a bit faster than them, wanting to get out of the place quickly, hoping the rest of the group would get the hint and walk faster. She was about to put her foot over a gap in the floor when she felt a rumble underneath it and she brought her foot back quickly as a iron gate came up inches from her face. 'wooow…' she thought. Then she heard a shout behind her

'This is another of your tricks isn't it!' Steiner shouted at Marcus who started shouting back.

'Stoppit! Come on!' Isobelle shouted at both of them and started running back the way she came, but an iron gate came up that side too. 'You idiots, we could've got back then!' she shouted and Garnet scolded with the same words at the same time

'Look what we have caught!'

'Caught look what we have!' a air of jesters called from above. Isobelle looked up and growled at them as Steiner and Garnet tried to explain that they were coming back, Steiner then adding 'and I brought back two of the kidnappers to be beheaded.' Isobelle stopped growling at the jesters and ran at Steiner

'Why YOU…!' she shouted at him and pushed him to the floor. Hitting him hard, and then raising her arm again, she was pulled off

'Angered that one is.'

'That one is angered.'

'Understandably so…'

'…being cooped up with such a traitor as he.' Zorn and Thorn chuckled and called some knights down to help them…

Isobelle cried on the floor of their cage. She was to be beheaded because she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

'Isobelle…' Marcus said pitying at her. 'We'll get out of here Isobelle…' he confided in her 'We've just got to work together' he growled at the knight who looked rejected.

'I don't understand…traitor…' he was confiding to himself…

'Swing, swing, SWING!' Marcus commanded as they finally hit the side of the room. Isobelle climbed out, grabbing her daggers as her hands went past her waist. Marcus came behind her and then Steiner, each holding their weapon, ready to attack. She hit the first knight and came back to Marcus and Steiner quickly. _Fighting my way out…_she thought _…Way to go Isobelle._ She smiled to herself, attacking again…

Somehow, they got to a safe level in the castle and as they ran up the past of a flight of stairs, Zidane, Vivi and a Dragon knight materialized. Marcus and Isobelle smiled as Steiner and the other swapped complementories.

'We'd better go to our Bro.' Marcus said when they finished and tugged on Isobelle's upper arm once, turning away from the new group and running. Isobelle smiled at Vivi and Zidane

'Have fun finding the Princess or whatever.' She laughed and ran after Marcus 'BYE!' she shouted as she ran…

Author's Note:

Hey, Sorry this chapter went on for so long, I was meaning to get to Blank in this chapter but it went on for too long :( Anyway, Hope you're enjoying this story, although I have only had two reviews…R&R people…R&R… hehe

Stay Cool

HSea XxX


	9. Stone Statues

'Marcus!' Isobelle shouted below her as Marcus lost his footing on the cliff and fell into the forest beneath. Isobelle looked for a quick way down and saw a rock scree a few metres away 'Hang on Marcus…' she said, more to herself than him, as she moved over to the scree and started to slide down it.

It wasn't the best idea, Isobelle hit her head/ arms/ legs/ torso on everything as she slid, causing her to feel very concussed when she got to the forest floor.

'Nice decent' Marcus said from above her as she laid on the ground, waiting for her vision to clear again.

'How…?' she mumbled as he helped her up, but he didn't answer and as soon as she was on her feet he ran ahead again

'Come on, Blank's waiting…' he called back to her, forcing her to run too. _Blank…I'm coming Blank…I'm coming…_ she repeated over and over in her head like a chant. Suddenly, she fell into Marcus' back, who had stopped and was looking at the scene in front of him.

'Bloody hell…' he breathed as he looked at hoards and hoards of petrified plant monsters. They stretched as far as they could see both ways, the petrified roots blocking the entrance to the forest just visible at the end. _Did we really run this far?_ Isobelle thought, trying to remember the distance they had run, but only coming up with pure fear. She looked the way towards the blocked exit and tried to see a figure, but it was impossible to distinguish anything except stone upon stone. 'You go that way, I'll go this.' Marcus told her, telling her to go towards the exit. She set off; looking at each figure, shivering in fear at the monster's angered faces, their frozen determination to catch someone.

Isobelle looked at the figure twisted in the act of throwing.

'Marcus!' she shouted back the way she had come, her eyes still on the figure in front of her. Without thinking, she reached up and rubbed her hand against the guy's stone cheek. 'You'll be ok soon, real soon.' She whispered to him, stepping back as she heard Marcus approaching. Marcus looked at the figure and brought out the bottle of supersoft. First, he splashed some on the parts of the monster's pincers that was holding the human in place. Almost instantly, the parts became flesh again and fell through because it couldn't cope with such a heavy weight of a stone figure. Then, Marcus splashed the stuff on Blank's face. _He's done this before…_Isobelle thought as Blank's face became flesh again, his eyes drooping closed. Then, gently, Marcus let the liquid dribble into the corpe's mouth and as the liquid went in, the corpe's body became flesh again and as the last drop touched Blank's tongue, he gave a start and looked around confused, and then he remembered what had happened. He turned to Marcus who was bent over him

'Zidane, is he ok?' Blank asked his voice like he had never been paralysed. 'Did they get out ok?' he asked again and Isobelle stepped forwards.

'He got out ok. We need to go help them now though, in Alexandira.' She looked to Marcus 'I have a feeling they're gunna need our help…' she said and Marcus nodded.

'Isobelle…' Blank smiled and tried to get up.

'No time, Let's go!' Marcus butt in and ran on ahead. Blank and Isobelle watched him go and smiled to one another

_we'll greet each other properly in a minute_ their eyes seemed to say to one another as they ran after Marcus…

'Fallen for the same trap they have!'

'They have fallen for the same trap!' Zorn and Thorn crowed above Zidane, Garnet

And Vivi, who growled up at them again and shouted.

'That was very-'

'Very foolish that-' Zorn and Thorn started to say

'Quit your stupid talk.' Isobelle cut over them, grabbing hold of Thorn.

'Yeah, Shut UP!' Blank joined in and grabbed Zorn.

'OK, GO!' Marcus said to Zidane and the group as he lowered the gate leading to Gargan Roo.

'Isobelle, Blank, Marcus…Thanks.' Zidane said before he carried on out of Alexandria.

Marcus put the gate up again as Blank and Isobelle smiled across to one another and threw the two jesters into the air, where they hit each other and fell into their own trap

'Caught in your own trap are you?'

'Are you caught in your own trap?' Blank and Isobelle laughed, imitating the jesters before running after Marcus out of the castle…

'How we getting back?' Blank asked after a while, they had walked a long way, camped once and now they were just about to pass through the borders of Alexandria.

'Well, I could hitch a ride with my friend in Treno, but he wouldn't let all three of us go with him.' Marcus explained. Isobelle had a thoughtful look on her face then, she started looking around.

'The Shop Keeper…?' Blank asked slowly and Marcus nodded.

'He would just tolerate me, but all three of us would bee too much for him.' He turned to Isobelle who wasn't looking at them 'he's a bit of a grumpy thing you see, but he has a truck to transport monsters and things and he's always driving to Lindblum…' Marcus looked back at Blank as he got no response from Isobelle and shrugged.

Isobelle was as tuned out of their conversation as a teenager is to classical music. Looking around – Remembering scantily - she found what she was looking for. She stood on the chocobo tracks with pride and held up a Gysahl Green…Choco nuzzled into her neck, 'kweeh'-ing softly.

'We could ride on him.' She said to Blank, who shrugged, secretly a little thrilled with the idea. Marcus laughed.

'Guess I'll go hitch my ride then.' He replied, taking his cue to leave. He started walking away, his sword in his hand, ready to attack any monster. They waited until he was out of sight and then looked toward each other.

'Isobelle,' Blank stated and then blushed, for he sounded stupid. 'So, what've you been up to since I was petrified?' he asked, looking at Choco, scratching the chocobo's head. Isobelle was taken aback, the sudden tension between them, it was elasticising time, making her head spin. She collected her thoughts.

'Training Choco...Hanging out in the Hideout…rescuing you…' she said vaguely looking behind them towards the towers of Alexandria and the top of the Evil Forest that was just visible through the Mist. Blank became even more interested in Choco as he exclaimed

'And I bet your boyfriend misses you at the moment…' he said softly, Isobelle couldn't read the thousands of emotions in those few lines she just knew they were there.

'Boyfriend?' Isobelle questioned, a feeling in her stomach making her something slip inside her _what happened to my wonderful reunion of Blank and Isobelle?_ She asked in her head, talking in third person, _It was imaginary…_ her mind replied, making the slippery feeling worse. Blank looked anywhere but at her

'Yeah, well… I just thought, you being in Lindblum…Pretty…' he mumbled off, not looking at her. Suddenly, it clicked in Isobelle's head and she took a step closer to Blank, who was purposely looking to see if he could see Marcus still.

Gently putting her fingers on Blank's chin and pulling him round, she made him look at her.

'What, and miss my chance on a free dinner?' she asked and slid her arms round his neck. He slid his arms round her waist and then they were kissing…

Author's Note:

Awww! Cute huh 

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I went to see the Offspring, made a weekend of it and stayed round my friends for the weekend, but I'm back now.

Wad it worth the wait? Hehe

HSea XxX


	10. A Crack in the Wall

Isobelle woke up with her arms round Blank, riding on the back of Choco. She thought of the days past, the days of her and Blank that have been so long, yet been over so quickly. They had had to stop regularly for Choco to rest and as they did so, they talked of the thousands of things that seemed so insignificant now that they were together again, yet they discussed them anyway. The gathering of Mist, the Alexandrian monarchy and how it was becoming tinted evil by Queen Brahne, Zidane and Dagger, all subjects that they needed to discuss but not really listening to each other, to busy just watching the other, thinking of how much they loved them. Oh! And there was lots of kissing…

'He's done it again…' Blank turned round and said ruefully. Isobelle didn't know whether to laugh or be angry with Choco. She chose laughter.

'How come he only does it with you?' she asked Blank, who smiled innocently

'Because he doesn't like me.' He said simply and kissed her nose 'We're now about to come to Treno, after the detour Choco nicely made to Bermucia and back to Alexandria, we may finally be on course…'

'I don't know if you're just getting extra time with me alone…' Isobelle quipped and laughed. Blank gave her a smile suggesting that was exactly what he was doing, turned round and rode Choco on, over the field outside Treno and across to Lindblum again…

Blank helped Isobelle down off Choco and let him walk into Chocobo Forest. Choco nuzzled against Isobelle and 'kweeh'-ed softly, Isobelle stroke his head feathers back and kissed the side of his beak

'In you go.' She guided softly, leading Choco into the entrance of Chocobo Forest. He 'kweeh'-ed sadly as Isobelle began to walk away. 'I'll be back soon, I really will!' she promised and blew a kiss back at the chocobo, who glumly walked into the forest.

'Come here.' Blank held out his hand to her when she caught up to him on the bridge. She put her hand into his and linked her fingers with his. They walked towards Gizamaluke's Grotto, Keeping silent until they got there, and then Blank suddenly ducked into the small bit of Mountain opposite Gisamaluke's Grotto, into a concealed crack that he only just got into.

'Blank?' Isobelle asked, looking into the crack but only seeing darkness. Blank's hand shot out, grabbed his arm and pulled her in. he put his finger to his lips, a gesture Isobelle could only just see, and started carefully to creep down a flight of stairs. There was a door at the end and light was faintly coming from around the edges. Blank and Isobelle neared it, keeping silent except for their footfalls. Suddenly, two figures loomed from the shadows in front of the door

'State your name, the password and your purpose.' The two figures said in monochrome unison. Blank held Isobelle back into the darkness, his hand stroking her arm calmingly.

'Blank, Hill view, my purpose is to have a good time and show Isobelle around.' Blank pulled Isobelle into the only-fractionally-better lit darkness. She saw the figures move slightly and felt their eyes upon her.

'Isobelle…err, Hill view, my purpose is to be shown around, not to cause trouble and to have fun?' Isobelle said, scared and confused. She reached for Blank's hand and gripped it tightly.

'Enter Blank and Isobelle' the two figures said, pushing the door behind them so it became ajar. Blank pulled Isobelle lightly through the door and into the unknown to her eyes.

'Welcome to Niegel.' Blank whispered to her, showing her the view behind him.

Isobelle gasped, hands to her mouth as she looked around. The place was beautiful. It was dimly lit, yet this didn't bring on a sense of dismay or hopelessness, it was as if the place couldn't exist in light brighter than this fragile light that was hidden in glass outside each building. The buildings were like mud igloos, yet they were made of red and orange clay with stained glass windows in the sides. All the houses were the same, leading down towards a stage in the middle of the streets that had a live band playing on it, the people of this place all dancing in the street, a massive bundle of jumping and dancing heads in the centre of such a town. To the side of Isobelle was a tree with yellow fruit growing on it, shaped like hexagons. The streets were cobbled with broken metal, all welded down with mud and cement compacted into the gaps. The people were wearing normal clothes, and although dirty, they looked like normal people. There was ivy all over the rock walls surrounding the city, the outsides of the mountain Isobelle presumed. Flowers grew on grassy patches in junctions of where the streets met up. It wasn't a big place, there only being about fifty houses in total and all of them no bigger than Garnet's room in Alexandria Castle. It was the atmosphere that made the place feel bigger, the atmosphere that seemed to hold screams of joy and laughter in its folds. From where Isobelle stood, there was a flight of steps as long as the ones she had come down before, although these ones were lit and then the town started.

'Niegel…Home of the Outcasts, the lost and the lonely.' Blank explained, taking one of the fruits and giving it to Isobelle. 'Take a bite.' Isobelle did so and was taken aback to taste grapes, apple and pear all in one bite. She gave the fruit back to Blank 'Maxelle, has all the vitamins you need for a good day.' Blank stated and laughed 'I sound like an advert.' He smiled, looked down at the fruit and threw it behind him.

'A good-looking advert.' Isobelle smiled at him, leant over and kissed him. He pulled away after a bit and took her hand.

'Come on, let's go see around.' He said and pulled her down the steps towards the town. Laughing, they ran into the group of dancers to the live band and Isobelle started dancing, Blank laughed and tried to join in, shifting from foot to foot. He looked dos cute when he danced, concentrating so hard on how he should do it as not to show Isobelle up that after ten minutes, Isobelle had pulled the Tantalus member to the side of the dancers, down onto a grassy patch of flowers where they were kissing.

'Blank?' a voice came from above them and reluctantly, Isobelle and Blank drew away from each other and looked up at a black-haired, brown-eyed guy who was holding his hat in his hands. He smiled down at them 'I knew it was you. Who's this lady?' he said, bowing to Isobelle who blushed

'Hey Charge. This is Isobelle.' Charge wasn't the only one to notice the emotive way Blank said Isobelle, like nothing mattered more than that name and the person it represented. Isobelle stood up, brushing her skirt down she curtsied sweetly at the new guy and slipped her hand into Blanks, who seemed a little grateful for it. Charge looked at Blank to Isobelle

'Is he treating you right?' he asked her, Isobelle was taken aback, why wouldn't he.

'Yes…' she said annoyed. Charge then put his hand on Isobelle's shoulder and whispered into her ear

'You know, if anything ever happens, you can come to me. I'd help you out.' He whispered and kissed Isobelle on the cheek. Isobelle, who had felt Blank tense as Charge leaned into Isobelle and had squeezed his hand sweetly, smiled shakily

'Right…thanks…' she muttered, feeling relieved as Charge leaned back from her and started to walk off, but then he turned round

'Think about it, yeah? I mean, even if you get bored…' he said and Isobelle gritted her teeth

'Ok, thank you.' She said sweetly, her teeth grinding. As soon as Charge was lost in the dancers again she turned to Blank. 'D'you know what?' she said and he looked at her wearily

'What?' he asked unsure

'I think I bloody love you.' She exclaimed and smiled at him.


	11. Niegel

Hey, sorry it's taken so long to get up and running again, the computer broke down and stuff… ok, excuses, excuses I know. Anyway, enjoy XxX

She saw him relax quickly and then an immense smile crosses his face. 'I Love You.' She said again, getting used to the words. Blank laughed

'D'you know what?' he answered in response

'What?' Isobelle asked, a smile already coming over her face. Blank put his arms round Isobelle's waist and leant his face into hers

'I 'bloody' love you too.' He said, kissing her. _This is what you've wanted all these days, weeks, months isn't it Isobelle._ Her mind raced and she couldn't know anything around her except Blank.

'Let me show you my friends – not Charge.' Blank said hastily as they pulled away from each other. Isobelle put her hand in his and let him lead her around the dancers and to a house on the side of the town. He knocked on the door, letting go of Isobelle's hand, and a girl about Isobelle's age, height and figure came out.

'BLANK!' the girl shouted over the noise and launched herself on him. Blank didn't hug her back, just patted her lightly on the back and looked at Isobelle, his eyes fixed on hers. 'I didn't know you were coming! Oh, and do you have a guest?' she said excitedly, looking at Isobelle, who waved shyly

'Yeah, this is Isobelle.' Blank said, grabbing Isobelle's hand and pulling her towards him. 'She's my accomplice!' he laughed along with the girl

'Oh Blank, you and your thief talk.' She laughed and turned away from the door. 'Come in, I'll tell Joel that you're here.' She carried on and Blank came into the house pulling Isobelle along with him. Isobelle stood uncomfortably in the house, looking around at the walls, which were painted yellow. The pots ands pans hung on the walls, the books thrown across the surfaces and the ripped sofa pressed against the right hand wall all added character to the otherwise dull house. Blank squeezed her hand

'Hey.' He said quietly to her, smiling as she turned round

'Hey' she said back, looking confused at him. He laughed quietly and kissed her softly.

'Blank, my man!' a guy with four piercings in one ear said as he came through the door the girl had left before. 'What brings you here?' he enthused as he 'manly' hugged Blank.

'Just showing Isobelle around.' Blank said laughing. Joel turned to Isobelle and blinked a few times

'Hey!' he said

'Hello…' Isobelle replied, on edge. She didn't like it in this house, she didn't trust these people, she didn't understand why Blank was showing her them. She smiled uncertainly at the guy and turned to Blank. _I don't like it here_ she tried to explain through her eyes.

'Look, it's great that you're here and all but… this was mine and Keela's only night in, you know?' Joel said quietly to them both and Blank smiled wryly. 'Come back tomorrow, right?' Joel looked at Blank and Isobelle saw need in his eyes. _What?_ She thought and tried to detach herself from Blank.

'I need to see something, outside…err, I'll wait out there. I won't impose on you…' she clearly mumbled. Taking a few steps back and turned round to walk out the house. A shiver went down her back and she tried her best to conceal it. She got out the door and skirted round the side, then, seeing the embankment next to her, she started climbing up the side of the grassy, flowery sides.

She turned round and looked over the whole town. _This place is so beautiful_ she thought as she looked over the basic huts and dimly lighted streets _such a subtle beauty, but it's the prettiest, the most striking subtle town I have ever seen._ She felt a smile lift her cheeks as she looked over the town. _Even if the people are scary, this place is…_ a pair of lips came down and brushed over her own.

'Joel say's you're a nice catch by the way.' Blank's voice whispered into her ear. 'Do you want to find the Inn? We'll sleep here and go onto Lindblum in the morning.' He whispered again.

'Why did you take me to see Joel and Keela?' Isobelle asked him quietly, not taking her eyes off the view.

'Never mind them, what did you think of the hut?' Blank retorted. Isobelle decided to play along. She was tired, she didn't want to fight, not with Blank.

'It was nice, yellow.' She replied and felt Blank's arm go round her shoulders

'They're selling it in a few weeks, I'm going to buy it, get myself some independence and live here.' Isobelle glanced up at him and saw him looking over the town like she had been 'I was wondering what you thought of it?' he said, turning his face towards her in a quick movement, his eyes immediately connecting with her own.

'You're not suggesting we move in together?' Isobelle said, it coming out very cynical but in truth, she didn't know what she felt about that.

'No, I think it's a bit early for us to do that.' Blank said sweetly, both knowing that one day, Blank would ask again and Isobelle would accept immediately. 'What do you think of that idea?' he asked her and she smiled up at him warmly

'Let's find the Inn, I'm tired.' She replied and leant her head on his shoulder. Together they stumbled down the embankment and onto the streets again. As they walked the lights seemed to offer a comforting glow to the people who were walking as the dancing had stopped and couples, gangs of rowdy guys and giggling girls were walking home together. Isobelle caught the eye of a couple of people, but she turned away from them, pressing herself further into Blank. As they walked, she put her arm around Blank's middle and squeezed him comfortingly. They stopped on a street corner and Blank looked down at her

'Is the Inn down there?' she asked him quietly, for the mood of the night was requiring whispers and quiet voices. He smiled down at her

'No, I just wanted to see you in the light, remind myself that dreams come true.' Isobelle laughed and so did he

'Corny, soppy sap.' Isobelle teased him and he nodded

'Completely.' He agreed and leant down to kiss her

'Alrigh' son! Glad someone pulled tonight!' a rowdy boy of about 17 shouted from near them. Blank laughed softly, looking down at Isobelle, his heart skipping a little too eagerly. He leant down again, not caring if people were watching, if anything, wanting to show this fascinating girl off to the whole world.

'We're here.' Blank said half an hour later as they neared a hut exactly the same as any other hut except it had a wooden, slightly-wonky, worn, battered sign hanging from the wall saying 'Inn'. Isobelle opened her eyes a little more from the sleepy squint they were in, looking straight into a light

'Ah, my eyes…' she mumbled sleepily and instinctively hid her eyes from the light, meaning she hugged Blank hard, digging her head into his chest.

'Isobelle…' Blank cajoled her, stroking her hair down her back. 'Come on, We need to go in.' he said lovingly. Isobelle looked up at him

'Wanna sleep.' She agreed and let go of Blank, only to think better of it and grab him again, kissing him hard. 'Instinct.' She said sweetly as he looked at her a bit dazed. They pushed open the Inn door and nearly fell into the hut as the floor dipped a step.

'Room for two please' Blank ordered from the inn keeper who looked from him to Isobelle and back.

'Double or single beds?' he asked and Isobelle butt in

'Tired, sleep, don't care.' To which Blank smiled obligatory and just grabbed a key from the guys right hand, not knowing if it was double or single bedded.

'See you in the morning.' The inn keeper called to them and Blank turned round and gave the thumbs up to him whilst dragging a sleepy girl into a room. When they got into the room, Isobelle didn't look to see if it was a double or single bed, she just collapsed on it and fell diagonally across the larger-than-a-single bed. Something clicking in her head, she sleepily took off her skirt, slipping under the covers.

Isobelle had never been modest, Blank was surprised at how she had just took off her clothes with not thought sometimes, like just then. He shrugged, one of her many characteristics, he thought as he slipped into the bed as well, hearing Isobelle's shallow, deep-sleep breathing coming from her already.

'Night Isobelle.' He whispered and felt a kiss on his cheek, but when he turned round, Isobelle was sleeping again…


	12. Lindblum, Vacuumed

Isobelle jumped up from the bed and slipped on her skirt quickly whereas Blank didn't stir. She shook him frantically and pushed her hair down so her bed-head wasn't so frizzy. Blank looked up at her drowsily, but then was awake immediately when he heard the disturbingly near clashes and bangs. He jumped out of bed, slipping on his shoes and grabbed the door handle, Isobelle running after him. All the people of last night were annoyed and confused, standing in the street in nightclothes. Isobelle and Blank didn't pay them any heed and ran up the stairs to the exit of the town. Pushing though the door into the tunnel and clambering up the stairs, they found themselves outside once more and Isobelle grabbed a Gysahl Green, in a moment she was climbing onto Choco. Blank rushed on behind her and they started Choco to run towards where the sounds were coming from: Lindblum. They saw Atmos rising from where the sea was and the Red Rose hovering little distance away from them, but 100's of metres in the air. They urged Choco on, Blank scarcely believing what was happening and going crazy with worry over his fellow team members. Isobelle didn't let herself think as she pressed Choco up towards Lindblum., up the cliff to where they could walk into the entrance. When they got to the top of the mountain, Choco saw what was going on, 'Kweeh'-ing and scraping, he went to run down the mountain again, Isobelle and Blank flinging themselves off the chocobo's back. They started to run towards the city, and then they saw three familiar figures in front of them. One was kneeling down, crying, the monkey-boy was rubbing her back and the little black mage was looking up at the city in wonder as Black mages were clearly seen to swarm the city and be sucked into Atmos as it destroyed the castle. Isobelle thought about the hideout, about Tantalus and all her friends there; she kept running towards the city.

'ISOBELLE!' Blank shouted at her, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. She struggled away from him, pushing on towards the city. He grabbed her again, but she just pushed him to the ground and carried on

_Tantalus, the hideout, everything…_ran through her mind as tears scored her cheeks. She stopped running, her eyes so blocked with tears she couldn't see. Then she felt the slight pull of Atmos' power, and then the pull a little harder. She realised she'd run too far, why the others were holding back and she started running frantically away from the pull again. She felt her hair being pulled back, her skirt rigid with the force pulling her back, but she persisted and finally found her running easier and she ran straight into Blank, who hugged her close to him.

'It's…oh god…it's gone!' she managed to stutter out as Blank kept his arms round her like a seatbelt. 'I nearly got pulled in too. Oh God Blank, what's happening?' she looked up at him, but he didn't answer, nor look at her. She twisted round to see Atmos vanishing and his essence flying back to the Red Rose. 'The Red Rose…Queen Brahne…?' it was then Isobelle looked down to Garnet to see her crying in Zidane's arms.

'They were Black Mages…why?' a voice of a child came from behind her and she released herself from Blank's grip to look upon Vivi.

'Maybe they don't realise what they are doing.' Isobelle thought wildly. Trying to calm the kid.

'Blank Mage's are not dumb! Look at me, are you calling ME dumb?' the kid shot at her and she recoiled in realisation

'I'm sorry, I didn't mean…' she put her head in her hands.

'It's been a long night.' Zidane's voice came from nearby and she felt a hand go to her back, one she knew was Blank's. She got up and looked round to Blank.

'Let the morning break, then we'll go see what's happened. It'll be chaos now.' Blank said simply, to the whole group but aiming it directly at Isobelle anyway. Isobelle fell to the floor, twisting her legs to the side of her and looked at the grass.

'At least the grass is still fresh.' She exhaled optimistically and ran her fingers over a few blades, sucking at the dew…

…Her heart was thumping as she took two steps of the entrance to Lindblum at a time. Blank was a few steps behind her, Zidane, Garnet and Vivi to her left.

'Vivi, maybe you should wait here.' was all she heard as she looked down towards the city centre, down past the destroyed buildings, down past the city-people clambering over ruins, looking for their friends, for their family. One pair were stabbing a Black mage and she ran over to them.

'I think its dead.' One of the pair said to the other, who stabbed it extra hard with the stick.

'It may just be pretending.' He growled and stabbed harder. Isobelle pushed them away and bent down next to the oddly dressed mage. She pulled at its arm so it turned over towards her, lying on her knees. Its eye's were closed; she could just see lashes under the darkness covering the mage's face. She didn't try to take its hat off, she laid it down again and looked at the two people standing over it.

'It's dead, don't prod it, and let it alone.' She scolded them, and they scowled at her then walked off. She turned round to see Blank walking up to her along with Zidane and Garnet. She looked away from them again

'Why…?' she whimpered as she looked towards the city centre once more. She started walking dismally towards the fountain along with the other three. There, she sat down on the edge of the fountain, unsure of how steady it was. Garnet and Zidane looked at Isobelle sitting there, playing with her hands and Zidane sat down beside her after briefly looking at Garnet to reassure her he wasn't going to do anything. She turned away anyway and walked a few steps, Blank was talking to Alice, the medicine seller, asking what had happened and haggling a bit.

'Hey.' He said to her, she smiled wearily

'Hey.' She replied, looking toward him

'You're gunna have to do a lot to the hide out now. What did Tantalus say when they found out you were staying there?' he asked and she laughed

'They don't know I lived there, I bumped in Marcus on one of my days out, hung around with him until we super soft-ed Blank and have been with him for all this time.' She smiled as Zidane looked at her as if saying _you and Blank? Like, as a couple?_ 'yeah, me and him…' she faded off and then looked over to Garnet 'How's the princess Dagger?' she asked, meaning more than just her health.

'Give me time, give me time.' Zidane laughed and they both stood up. 'Well, glad to see you're ok.' They smiled to one another

'Same.' Isobelle turned towards Blank, about to walk to him when Zidane grabbed her arm.

'Garnet's found someone. Who is it? I can't remember his name.' Isobelle turned herself round to look upon Garnet and Minister Artania.

'He's Minister Artania.' she replied quietly and Zidane let go of her arm

'Right, thanks.' He laughed and walked over towards Garnet and the Minister. Isobelle turned towards Blank to see him coming over to her

'The whole city has been hit. The industrial district is no more, we need to get to the Theatre District, see what's happened.' He rubbed a hand over his eyes

'It'll be ok.' Isobelle said, turned round and looking over the dismay and carnage 'It'll all be ok…' she turned round the Blank again and put her arms round his torso as he looked at her '…We just have to hope.' She smiled at him and turned to Zidane, who was watching her 'we're gunna check out the Theatre district, see how it is…' she explained, nodded at Garnet and curtsied slightly to the minister.

She slid her arms away from Blank's frame and ran to the air cab to take her to the theatre district, making sure the black mage wasn't being poked on the way: it wasn't, people had listened to her.


	13. Desperate Destruction

Isobelle ducked into the Tantalus hideout with a little caution.

'Isobelle?' Blank called from behind her and climbed through the fallen down beams to where she was standing. 'Well, at least this place is mend-able and none of Tantalus are here…' Blank stated seriously whilst Isobelle looked around dismally.

'The whole city has been ruined, and for what?' she growled angrily. She fought her way through the rubble again and ran to the air cabs

'Iso…Isobelle! Where are you going!' Blank shouted after her as she climbed onto a cab to the castle. As soon as the cab touched down she raced up towards the lift that would take her to Cid. She smiled at the guard, someone who looked nothing more than 20.

'Say…why is someone like you cramped in a place like this?' she asked the guy, one of the few Lindblum guards around. He went a little red 'oh wow, that's an interesting lift…' she hinted, twirling a bit of her hair around her finger and looking up through her eyelashes. He smiled at her as she went up towards the lift 'wow…' she stated as she slipped into the meshing of the lift and pressed up 'oh no! sorry, I'll come right back down again!' she cackled afterwards and then brushed down her skirt. When she got to the top of the lift, she stepped out carefully and then ducked behind a statue as a guard walked past. Slipping cautiously into the mechanic room, she slid up the winding stairs until she was atop the balcony with the telescope. _Dammit, how can I get to Cid._ She thought as she made her way over towards the telescope. She leant on the wall beside her and heard voices below her. Twisting round and looking down, she saw the throne, the minister she'd seen earlier and Zidane. She smiled and climbed over the wall, edging herself down, she managed to push herself forwards so that she landed at Cid's (the throne's) feet. All of the people turned round to her. She stood up, a scowl on her face.

'Why is the city destroyed?' She asked cautiously, knowing that if she made any sudden moves, anything more than just talking, the guards would grab her and throw her out of the city.

'Isobelle.' Zidane said, causing her to look at him 'Isobelle, calm down!' he told her sternly, and she growled.

'Every where's destroyed,' she said, her voice rising 'and I just want to know why.' She carried on and then took a step towards Zidane 'I just want to know.' She looked around at the people around her 'I want to know why some of the best people I have known have been killed.' She bit her lip, the death, the destruction; it was all around, clawing at her lively self, making her feel drained.

'Isobelle…' Garnet took a step forwards. 'Why you had to make such an entrance I don't know, we were going to come find you once we were finished here.' she smiled at the girl 'Why don't you go outside with one of these knights and calm yourself.' Isobelle looked around at everyone, their fake, plastic smiles, their happiness. She sighed, she wasn't going to get through to them.

'no, forget it.' She turned to the general of Lindblum and sunk to one knee 'I'm sorry I disturbed you.' She got up again and met no one's eye. 'I'll see you guys later.' She mumbled as she was escorted to the lifts again, barely seeing what she went past, Isobelle couldn't think. Taking the air cab to the business district, she ran across the street into the inn, slapped down the money for a room, ran into the room without the moogle and locked the door, pulled the windows closed and sunk into a corner.

_The Hideout was never where I would have called home anyway. Home, maybe it's about whom, not where? Home is supposed to be safety, where you can be yourself. I'm always myself, even faced with royalty. But not everywhere is my home…oh; it's all so confusing…_ Isobelle's thought lagged into silence as she heard someone's footsteps on the stairs. They were light, which dispelled any thought of it being Blank in his boots. She stood up and wiped the tears away from her cheeks as someone knocked tentatively on her door.

'Isobelle?' Garnet's voice asked, trying to sound friendly _she always tries too hard at everything…_ Isobelle strolled over and opened the door to the princess, who stepped in cautiously _…too hard to be normal, too hard to be a summoner, too hard to be the good girl…_ 'Isobelle! We finally found you, the guard said you'd taken off, we couldn't understand why, I mean, I know you were upset but…' the princess wound down when she saw Isobelle loose interest '…Blank's been going frantic.' She added, Isobelle felt a pain in her heart, she'd left Blank with no reason of what she was doing, she didn't know how long she had been gone, but a few hours would be a good guess, if a little underestimated. _…too hard to be caring, too hard to make sure everything she does has a consequence, too hard…_ 'What's wrong Isobelle?' Garnet sat down on the bed by the window, looking up at Isobelle, who was concentrating on pouring out tea into two cups. She handed one to Garnet silently 'Is it about Lindblum? Because it was your home?' Isobelle slipped into her corner again

'How do you know Alexandria is your home?' Isobelle said, looking down at her tea and subconsciously swirling her finger on the top of the liquid, as if her finger was an ice skater. Garnet faltered, looked away, out the window and back again

'It just is. I've lived there all my life…' _…too hard at answering honest questions, too hard at thinking over her memories…_ '…same as Lindblum is to you.' She rounded off; Isobelle hadn't looked at her for all that time. She got up and looked out the window.

'Lindblum isn't my home, it was my friends' home.' She explained and took a sip of her tea then rounded on Garnet, her eyes piercing Garnet's innocent face 'Why was it destroyed?' she raged out, seeming to fill the room with her presence.

'Mother…Queen Brahne, she's power crazed. She's wiped out all the major kingdoms of the mist continent. I fear she wants to take over the world.' Garnet got up and looked across the room 'she stole my eidolons and then used them against me, I need to stop her.' _…too hard at being there, too hard at being the heroic one, too hard…_ Isobelle looked away from the princess and opened the door.

'Where's Blank?' she asked as she started down the stairs, aiming the question at the princess who was following her, trying to keep up.

'by the fountain, this is the last place we were gunna check, I told them I'd check it-' Garnet began, as they came out into the street, Isobelle's eyes searching for the fountain and for the figure of Blank to be standing there. As they neared the fountain, Isobelle cut in on Garnet's good girl act of reasoning.

'-BLANK!' and she started running, Garnet not understanding until she looked up to see part of a house collapsing onto the fountain, where Blank was sitting unaware. She started running after Isobelle. As they both ran, the warning Isobelle had shouted reached Blank's ears, he looked up and covered his head as the building fell on top of him and he was isolated. Isobelle climbed onto the rubble and started to pull bricks and mortar away from where Blank was. Garnet stayed back, being a princess and unsure at what she could do to help. Isobelle turned to Garnet

'Where's Zidane?' Garnet smiled, relieved

'With Vivi, getting supplies for our journey.' _Thankfully not under there._ Isobelle heard her seem to carry on, the tone in her voice suggesting that very point. Isobelle turned back to the rubble and got out her daggers to cut through some wood. Growling at the princess for being so helpless, Isobelle looked around and saw Alice standing there with potions. She remembered how they had used super-soft on Blank before, she ran over to Alice; 'do you have any soft?' she asked eagerly, aware that every second Blank may be suffocating. People were crowding round the rubble, wondering why it was blocking their way, wondering why a girl was frantically trying to get through the bricks, what was so desperate. They didn't know it had fallen only moments before, that there was a living person underneath there. Alice handed over the soft as Isobelle pressed a bag of money into her hand 'keep the change' she said, knowing there was only about 20 gil over in the bag.

Isobelle ran back to the disturbed patch of rubble she had been digging and looked at the bottle, sinking her nails into the cork, she tried to pull it out to no avail and, getting desperate, she tried to bite it out, only to break the cork so no one could get it out. Almost in tears she threw the soft at the rubble in annoyance and the glass bottle broke, the rubble melting away. Quickly, Isobelle scrambled through the soft rubble and pulled Blank's body out from the crumbled wall. He was unconscious, scratched and bruised and as Isobelle put her cheek to his mouth and checked his pulse, she gave a gasp and tears rolled down her face. She looked up at her crowd

'He's dead.' She said though her high voice and tears.


	14. An Unfair Princess

Isobelle held Blank's head in her hands. Her own head was spinning, her cheeks hurting from blowing air into Blank's lungs. She felt another few tears trickle down her face and watched them fall on the cold face below her.

'Blank…' she said emotively. She hadn't know the guy for all that long, and yet she felt so connected with him, like she hadn't with anyone else. Garnet held her staff in her hands, feeling utterly stupid, utterly helpless to the cause, yet knowing that she should try anyway, not just because Blank had saved her in the Evil Forest. It was a weird sensation to watch two people you knew by name association only to be in front of her, one holding the others body to her like it was a worldly possession that would bring her great fortune, one that everyone was trying to steal.

'Isobelle?' Garnet managed to stutter out, scared of the scene in front of her. Isobelle looked up at her helpless with 5-year old eyes. _I'm going to take you to your mummy now…_

'Help him.' Isobelle pleaded with Garnet, who raised her staff and muttered a spell under her breath, then, pointing her stick at Blank, she cast 'Life' on him. His right eye flickered. Isobelle didn't squeal as such, more like scream like a burning spider. Blank opened his eyes unwillingly and looked up at Garnet and Isobelle.

'Iso…' he shakily lifted his hand up towards her 'Isobelle. You're real...' he stroked her cheek

'I'm real, I'm here.' she replied, then, suddenly aware of the crowds, she looked to Garnet 'do you know any magic to make him float?' _because you wouldn't want to help me carry him._ Garnet looked taken aback _no, you haven't finished, you wanted to be the hero…_ Isobelle thought as she tried to lift Blank _ok, whatever, be little princess then._ She thought snidely 'Ok, can you stand? I'm going to take you to the Inn…' Blank nearly fell down again, Isobelle put her arm round his chest and half dragging, half supporting Blank, she got him down to the Inn and there, the inn keeper took Blank's feet with hesitation and helped Isobelle carry him up the stairs and into the room without the moogle. Garnet came in ten minutes later, when Blank had become unconscious again and Isobelle was putting a wet flannel on his head, checking his breathing and wrapping him in blankets.

'Zidane and Vivi know we're here… they're just getting the last of the supplies…' she said tentatively. Isobelle nodded her head but didn't give Garnet any inclination she was really listening 'Look! This is no way to treat a princess!' Garnet burst out, Isobelle turned round to look at her

'Sorry Princess.' Isobelle sparked sarcastically. Garnet looked at the girl

'I've had other things to worry about, my mother…' she started but Isobelle rolled her eyes

'Well, don't let me keep you.' She replied, her back to the princess again

'You…You horrible, little brat!' Garnet screamed at Isobelle, who flinched. Isobelle heard the door behind her flung open, someone running down the stairs and then the shouts of 'Dagger' from the monkey-boy below her. There were then footsteps on the stairs and Zidane came up behind Isobelle

'What did you do to Dagger?' he stormed, Isobelle got up and pushed Zidane out of the room, closing the door behind them both

'I decided she was to stop acting like everyone had to treat her highly, because she's just Dagger, not the princess of Alexandria.' Isobelle gritted out. 'Ok, ok. She was useless just now, Blank got hurt, and she just stood there, then did one thing and suddenly she got all the glory from the public whilst I was left to pick up the pieces.' Isobelle felt tears brimming in her eyes. 'Look, its between me and her, tell me what direction she ran in, I'll go sort it out, you look after Blank.' She guided. Zidane looked at Isobelle

'What happened to Blank?'

'A building fell on top of him'

'WHAT!' Zidane ran into the room to see Blank lying there, he turned his head slowly and smiled slightly,

'Hey Bro.' he said groggily whilst Isobelle took her chance and ran off down the stairs, a little thankful Vivi was there

'Vivi, what way did Dagger go?' Vivi pointed towards the fountain and Isobelle was off again before Vivi could say anything.

'DAGGER!' Isobelle shouted to a figure crying on the side of the fountain, the other side of the rubble building. Isobelle sat down next to her 'you know, you really shouldn't do that, it attracts people, last time I did it, it attracted this monkey boy and a red-haired guy and look where _that_ got me.' Dagger looked at Isobelle and snivelled a bit. 'Look, I'm sorry Dagger, I didn't mean to say those things. I was just angry.' Isobelle looked at Garnet, hoping for a response, a positive one. Nothing changed so she struggled on 'It's just too many things at once… I had to snap at someone. My home of 10-12 years gets destroyed; destroying many of my friends, for most lived in the Industrial district.' She looked at Garnet who was looking at her 'Blank doesn't know, thinks telling me the industrial district is gone, blown to pieces is ok.' She found herself sniffing and pushed a tear away again 'Shit…All I seem to do it cry. Anyway, so then after I get myself a little private time, I have a princess who doesn't understand on my feet, no offence, and then, when I decide that I might be ok, the guy that I…love…I guess, he gets trapped underneath rubble off a building that only fell down because a ship flew too low and cause a crack that was already there I suppose, to widen and so, it falls.' _Do I love him?_ Isobelle thought and found herself looking at her skirt. 'At least I'm ok…' she smiled.

'You were horrible to me.' Garnet said coldly.

'I'm_ Sorry_ ok? I'm really, really _sorry!'_ Isobelle ran in front of Garnet, knelt down and pushed her own face in front of Garnet's. 'I didn't mean to, it was, overwhelming. I've lost my home, my friends and nearly Blank in the space of a few hours, if that! I'm sorry Garnet. Please, don't make me loose another friend too.' Against it all, Garnet smiled.

'My name's Dagger.' She said loosely and then got up. 'Come on; let us go see Zidane, Blank and Vivi again.' She smiled and started walking off again, Isobelle followed after her.

'Hello Blank.' Garnet said as she walked into the door, Zidane jumped back, blushing, as if he has been talking about the princess. Isobelle didn't even think for a moment before she had passed judgement that he had.

'Hey Garnet' he said, and then assessed what he had said 'I mean, Dagger.' He smiled to her, and then saw Isobelle. 'You keep running off.' He said, Isobelle stopped smiling and looked away

'I'm sor-' she started sincerely

'-don't apologise silly, I know why.' He held out his arms to her and she walked into his frame 'I know you've had a lot to go through in this past day or so, just as long as you're ok now.' He whispered down to her and Isobelle nearly choked on a swell of emotion and hugged him tighter, whilst Dagger, Zidane and Vivi stood there, watching them. Dagger and Zidane's eyes met but she turned away.

'We have to go and stop Kuja. We'll go in the morning, but we're going to take a passage through Qu's dwelling, pick up Quina if he/she's (god knows what she actually is…) there, and carry on through.' Zidane outlined the battle plan to Blank and Isobelle, who smiled and nodded. 'wanna come along?' he asked and Isobelle looked at Blank.

'No, we have things to do of our own.' Blank said and Zidane shrugged.

'Okay, but you two, stay safe, right?' he joked and then ran out the room.

'Once I get better, we're gunna go buy ourselves a house.' Blank explained to Isobelle and kissed her…


End file.
